Just like compatriot Mercedes-Benz, one such measure will be the inclusion of formerly diesel-only particulate filters to some of the TSI petrol-engined fleet.

Dubbed GPF, or Gasoline Particulate Filter, the first candidates will be the Volkswagen Tiguan 1.4 TSI and Audi A5 2.0 TFSI from June of next year. After kicking off in these models, the automaker claims, “Implementation will then follow in further models and engine generations.”

Dr Ulrich Eichhorn, who is the R&D head of VAG, proclaimed: “Following increases in efficiency and lower CO‚ output, we are now bringing about a sustained reduction in the emission levels of our modern petrol engines by fitting particulate filters as standard.”

Crucially, diesel engines warranted a mention too, with significant improvements promised: “In the future, all [diesel] models will be equipped with the latest and most efficient SCR catalytic converter technology,” Eichhorn said.

Mitchell is a contributing journalist and features writer at PerformanceDrive. He has been a passionate petrol-head from a very young age. He is excited by the future of the industry, and considers himself as a bit of a fanatic when it comes to the technical aspects of cars. He is also fascinated by new cars that are popping up in developing markets.